Rural Active Living Assessment

The Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) was designed by researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center at the University of Southern Maine.

The RALA assesses the “friendliness” of a community for walking, biking, and recreation. The town as a whole is assessed, including how it is laid out; where people live, work, and go to school; and how people are likely to get from one place to another. Finally, it provides a structure for assessing programs and policies with a focus on identifying barriers in the community to living an active, healthy life.

Healthy Communities of the Capital Area has completed a RALA for all of the 18 towns we serve. For more information contact Karen Tucker at (207) 588-5012 k.tucker@hccame.org.